Construction & Industrial Accidents

CONSTRUCTION & INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS

Construction work is highly dangerous, putting workers at a high risk for injury and has one of the highest worker injury rates of any occupation. In fact, according to the US Department of Labor Statistics 4,405 workers were killed on the job in 2013 one in five worker deaths last year were in construction.

Falls — 294 out of 796 total deaths in construction in CY 2013 (36.9%)

Struck by Object — 82 (10.3%)

Electrocutions — 71 (8.9%)

Caught-in/between — 21 (2.6%)

When workers seek treatment for their injuries through workers compensation, often employers try to claim construction workers aren’t truly employees. Injured workers need to seek a lawyer to assist them in getting the treatment they need and are entitled to under the law. Orange County Workers Comp Lawyer Stephen Dial can get you the treatment you need and will fight your employer for the rights you have under the law.

The Types of Construction or Industrial Accidents

The top ten most frequent reason for citations at construction sites by OSHA are:

Workers Compensation applications are typically based on allegations of carelessness or negligence due to employers not following OSHA standards and putting workers a high risk for injury. The most common reasons for injury at construction sites are:

Falls – Most construction sites require workers to perform their jobs at heights put workers at high risk of injury if the worker falls. Because of the concerns for worker safety, owners and general contractors must take steps to prevent falls by installing guard rails or other devices to protect construction workers. Employers at times won’t take protective measures to protect the workers because they want to save money or the safety devices are incorrectly installed or aren’t maintained which leads to construction worker injuries.

Falling Objects- Construction workers on the ground or on lower levels at a construction site are frequently injured by falling objects – building materials, tools, equipment, site trash, ladders or scaffolding, cranes or crane loads.

Dangerous or defective tools, machinery or equipment – Construction jobs involve the use of power tools, heavy equipment and powerful machines. If these items are improperly designed or the employer doesn’t provide the proper safety equipment for the workers and workers can sustain very serious injuries.

Employer Negligence- in hiring, not training or giving workers direction – Contractors at times hire employees without confirming that before the worker is hired has the skills to safely operate a machine or perform a construction assignment. Or the contractor doesn’t give the workers proper training, or fails to supervise or monitor the construction site to be sure workers aren’t engaging in activities that possibly are putting them in danger of injury. Construction site employers often try to say that their employers aren’t really employees but they are contractors and aren’t eligible for workers compensation benefits. See our page on Uninsured Employers to learn what your legal rights are.

Motor vehicle accidents – Construction sites have a lot of traffic moving in and out, from deliveries to excavators and heavy equipment, heavy machines, heavy trucks, construction equipment, engineering equipment, heavy vehicles, or heavy hydraulics. Without pathways being marked correctly, workers are at risk of serious injury in a construction vehicle accident.

At Dial & Associates, Orange County Workers Compensation Attorney Stephen F. Dial has the experience you need if you are injured as a result of a construction site injury. When Dial & Associates handles your workers’ compensation case you don’t have to worry about paying us out of pocket because we get paid as a part of your benefits when your claim is resolved. We can explain the specifics of paying for our services when we meet to discuss your case.

To make things even easier for you, we offer free, no obligation consultations to all of potential workers’ compensation claimants. This means you can call us, speak with one of the members of our team and get answers to your questions before you decide to hire us. Call us today to discuss your case and learn about your options after a construction injury.

We are located in Orange County and handle workers’ compensation cases throughout Southern California including, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Riverside counties. We offer free, no obligation consultations and are available to answer your questions to help you understand the workers’ compensation process whenever you need us.

With our help you don’t have to worry about how you will pay for treatment